Automatic valve-controlling mechanism for water-pipes and the like.



c. E. EGAN. I AUTOMATIC VALVE CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR WATER PIPES AND THE LIKE.

' APPLICATION FILED OCT-18.19I5.

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C. E. EGAN. AUTOMATIC VALVE CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR WATER PIPES AND THE LlKE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18. l9l5- Patented Oot. 10, 1916.

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CHARLES E. EGAN, or oHARLEsT'oN, wEs-T VIRG NIA, AssIGNoR OF ONE-FOURTH To GEORGE r. MA TnEws-Ann A KEY a. GOFF, onE-rouRTrI To GEORGE T. cnoums, AND ONE-HALF To WADE n. GUTHRIE, ALL OF CHARLEsToN, wEsT VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATIC vALvE-coNTRoL'LIiv'G MECnANis'iv Roi-t WATER-PIPES Ann THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent. i Patentedoc't,

' Application filed'October18, 1915. Serial No. 56,606.

To all whom it may mccrn-:

, Be it known thatI, CHARLES citizen of the, United States, residing at Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State of West Virginia, have invented cer- One object of the invention is to providefa means for automatically operating a valve when a predetermined temperature has been reached. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be simple, strong, durable and inexpensive in construction, efficient and reliable in operation, and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, the combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings in which similar reference numerals designate like parts throughout "the several views, Figure ,1 is a side elevation of a device constructed in accordance with this invention, showing it applied to a water pipe; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the same; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 showing the arrangement of levers when the same are in operative position; Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the arrangement of levers when the samev are in. lnoperative position; and Flg. 5 1s a rear:

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5 "of the plug 4 and secured at its other end thereto, whereby said plugi will :be moved to opened position when released by means hereinafter to he described. A cap 8 is secured to the lower end of the casing 3 around'the' spring 7 and the lug 6 to prevent dust and dirt from collecting on these parts and also to 1provi'dea :packing for the plug 4.

The upper side of the casing 3 is provided with a :circular plate 9'a nd risin g from the latter is a pair of diametrically-opposite upright supporting standards 10 which may be secured thereto in=any suitableinanner. The

upper ends of the standards 10 are -reduced at 1'1 to provide shoulders 12 upon which rest the apertured ends of a spring metal strip 13, the intermediate portion 'of which is curved downwardly at 14, and disposed above the strip 13 is a bar 15 having apertured ends clamped on the aforesaid reduced ends =11 of the standards 10 by nuts 16. Extending through alined apertures 17 in the strip 13 and bar 15 is a bolt 18 having its lower end-secured to a suitable thermo-.

stat 19. The upper end of this bolt 18 is provided with a nut 20 by which the ther mostat- 19 may be adjusted vertically, which will be understood without further descrip- The lower end of the thermostat '19 carries a pin 21 which extends through an aperture22 in a bar 23, the latter being se-' cured at its ends in any suitable manner to the standards 10.

The upperend of the plug 4 extends above the plate 9 and is provided with a lever25 secured thereto by a bolt 24, the said lever 25 being provided with a handle 26 at one of its ends and with a cam 27 at its other end, the rearedge-of this cam 27 beingdisposed angularly as at 27 Disposed in a plane below the lever 25 is a lever 28 pivoted at one of its ends to one of the standards 10 and I. provided at its other end with an upstanding lever 25 is a lever 33, one edge of which is cut away to provide an inclined shoulder 34. Depending from the lower edge of this lever 33 is a pin 35 around which passes one end of a spring 36, the latter being coiled around and secured to the last mentioned standard 10 to force'the lever 33 backwardly.

Surrounding the above described parts is acylindrical housing 37 the walls of which are provided with rows ofapertures 38. Thls housing 37 is provided with a top 40 having diametrically opposite apertures through 3lI1noving inwardly and holding the lever.

7 above the freezing point of water, as the. temperature reaches that point, the ther- "stood, and draws the pin 21 upwardly out of 25 in the position shown in'Fig. 3, the angularly disposed edge 27 of the lever engaging the lug 29. The lever 33 is then swung forwardly and the lower end of the pin 21 com- .ing into engagement with the adjacent beveled edge of the former, islifted and passed over the same and into engagement with the rear edge of the lever thereby holding it in its forwardmost position. The device being thus set-in its operative position and the thermostat adjusted to operate slightly mostat contracts aswill be readily under engagement with the edge of the lever 33, thereby releasing the latter which moves rearwardly, and the inclined shoulder 34 coming into contact with the pin 30 causes -the lever 28 to move rearwardly until the lug riety of purposes, but it is especially adapted jcopies of this patent may be obtained for 29 moves out of engagement with the angular edge 27.. The lever 25 being thus released, swings under thetensionof the spring 7 to the position shown'in Fig. 4: into engagement with the stop 42, thereby opening the plug 4 so that the water contained in the pipe 1 may pass therethrough. V

This device may be used for a great vaas an antifreezing attachment for water service pipes, automobile radiators, and the like, as when the temperature reaches a predetermined point the valve automatically opens, thereby allowing the water to flow which, as will be readily understood, preventsthe'latter from freezing. However, it is equally adapted for use in connection with. heating systems to keep the tempera ture of the buildings above a fixed point.

Various changes in form and proportion may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of this invention, and hence I do.

not wish to be limited to the structure herein described other than that set forth in the appended claims I claim 1. The combination with a valve having a self-opening plug therein, of a lever carried by said plug, a second lever engaged with the former for retaining said plug in closed position, a third lever, a pin in engagement with the latter for normally holding the same in operative position, and a thermostat connected to said pin, said thermostat actuating the latter at predetermined temperatures whereby to release the third named lever for disengaging the second named lever from engagement with the first named lever to allow said plug to open.

2. The combination with a valve having a self-opening plug therein, of a lever carried by said plug, a spring actuated lever in engagement with the former for retaining said plug in closed position, an additional spring actuated lever, a pin in engagement with the latter for holding the same in operative position, and a thermostat connected to said pin, the former actuating the latter at predetermined temperatures, whereby to release the last named spring actuated lever for disengaging the first named spring actuated lever from engagement with the first mentioned lever to allow said plug to open,

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. EGAN. l/Vitnesses R. T. GILES, PAUL EGAN.

five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

